Improvement in seats for vehicles



A. B. SHEAFFER.

Sats for Vehicles.

Patented May 6 18731.

UNITED $TATES PATENT OEEIGE.

ALFRED B. SHEAFFER, OF NEW HOLLAND, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEATS FOR VEHICLES.-

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [38,537, dated May 6,1873; application filed November 12, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED B. SHEAFFER, of New Holland, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements for Shifting Seats in Vehicles, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention, in the first place, is to provide a means by which the front and hind seats of carriages, 850., can be readily removed for painting, trimming, or the like, and as easily replaced, without removing the sillfastenings, which is always attended with labor and often vexatious, by twisting off the screwheads so apt to be rusted. In the second place, so to arrange the seats that the front seat can not only be thrown forward, but, also, by means of sliding props, lever, and spring-action beneath the front seat, so hinged, &c., that it can be laid down backward and the hind seat thrown forward over the front seat, and thus gain room in the rear, often highly desirable.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the manner of connecting the several seats to the sills, and the lever and spring operation under the front seat.

Figure l is a side elevation of the seat. The

dotted lines show the changes of position in the respective seats combined-that is, three of the positions of the front seat and two of the hind seat. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the under side of the front seat, to show the combination of the lever, slides, spring, 8170. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, are details of detached parts and modifications.

The plates A are attached to the inner face of the sills M for the front seat. There is a clamp plate, 13, hinged to this plate A at d. This clamp-plate has an open slotted head, b, which laps over and wedges on the fixed plate A. Abinding-screw, D,holds it firmly in place. Clamping the pivots for the eyes f on the hinged seat-supports F, whether formed of a screw, as shown in Fig. 3, with a thread cut equally in each piece, or a fixed pivot with a head, c, and uniting both supports F by a cross-piece, N, as shown by Fig. 4, instead of the screw-thread, an enlarged chamber for the head a would have to be made. In either case the platesA B would firmly clamp and hold the four seat-supports F. Slacking the bindingscrew 1) would allow the plate 13' to be turned up and the entire seat removed. In order to lay the front seat down, I place the props or braces I on a sliding case, R, which fits over a square fixed guide-bolt, T. This case in its connection with the lever O, is made adjustable by a screw, Q, and jam-nuts p with the pivot-plates P, as shown by Fig, 5, one on each side of the lever O, as seen in Fig. 2, which also shows the coiled spring S and seat-plates G with its 'fixed forward prop J attached on the sides to the under side of the seat H.

To lower the seat backward, it is only necessary to press the lever 0, and the cases R with the props I will be drawn in and allow the seat to be let down to the floor. When raised the springs will again throw the props in place and hold them there. These irons can all be finished and adjusted to seats varying in width, and far preferable to the plan of first adjusting two separate pieces, and then welding thema tedious process to make a good fit. In order to allow the hind seat to cover the front seat, the fixed irons, to which the supports F are hinged, are set on the top of the sill. Fig. 6 shows the'several plates united and detached on the base A, which is firmly screwed on the top of the sill M. There is a central vertical flange, a, with a bevel-edge on top its entire length, which is shorter than the baseAto allow a screw-attachment at each end of this flat or base-plate. This vertical flange has also notches cut out and made bevel or wedge shaped, marked 1" r r. The two latter are longer and of two sizes, as shown. The detachable plate B, to which the seat-supports F are hinged, has a dovetail overlapping edge, which receives the bevel-top of the vertical flange at. There are also shown three wedgeshaped lugs, l l l, on the lower edge or inner face. The plate Bis set over the flange a, also resting with its lower edge on the baseplate A, and thelugs l inserted into the open notches r r, and pushed forward until the lugs wedge up in the narrowed recesses, and the head of the plate B, which is also made slightly wedge-shaped, and provided with an open slot or head, 12, and firmly held by a binding-screw, D, as in the other case. By this arrangement and several devices employed,

which I believe to be novel, I accomplish the ends in view in a highly satisfactory manner.

I am aware that shifting-seats are not new; but I am not aware that any are made detachable from the sill-fastenings, or substantially constructed and operated as herein set forth, giving greater facility in the use of one or two seats; or when both are attached, on an emergency one can be thrown out of the way, or both seats thrown forward, or both taken out of the way altogether, which latter is of the greatest advantage in repainting or repairing the inside, as well as for other reasons, which will readily suggest themselves 5 therefore WVhat I desire to claim as my invention is 1. The sill-platesA, sliding or hinged clampplates B, slotted and wedge-shaped heads I) held together by a binding-screw, D, in combination with the hinged seat-supports F, all combined and constructed substantially in the manner specified.

2. The double-acting lever O with its spring S, in combination with the connections P, adjusting-screw Q, and sliding case B with its prop I and fixed guide-bolt '1, all combined and to operate substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

ALFRED B. SHEAFFER.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. RANOK, ISAAC DAVIS. 

